We’ve talked about landing pages and local pages, now I’m going to talk about optimizing e-commerce pages.
So, for e-commerce pages, you’re trying to sell something. Just to be clear, I’m talking about the product-level pages where the conversion happens, not the homepage or category pages.
In this post, I’ll go over the key things all e-commerce landing pages should include; starting with a bold headline and an eye-catching image, then, after the fold, the modules that build trust.
What You’ll Learn:
- Your most valuable information should be above the fold
- Use “Specs” to deliver customers more details on your products
- How creating videos can help certain industries inform and sell
- Directing customers to similar products helps improve bounce rates
- Add product-specific FAQs to add content to your ecommerce page
- Ecommerce pages are driven by reviews – are you incorporating them?
Above the Fold
All product pages begin with a descriptive title and a quick description, as well as the option to filter by size, color, or other relevant variables.
Additionally, high-resolution photos are a must for any product page. Shopping is a visual experience–and as such, should speak to consumers on both an emotional and practical level.
Keep in mind, you’ll want to include several images so that your audience can see the item from different angles or environments. It also helps to include a zoom feature for a close-up look at the materials, which can give buyers a sense of the product quality.
Here’s an example from Harry’s, which I think ticks all the boxes:
Bose uses a slightly different format but includes a LOT of white space, multiple views, and a bottom navigation bar that lets visitors know where they can learn more about the product.
Further down the page, you’ll want to add more information to help buyers move toward a decision. Here are a few examples:
Specs
Another e-commerce page staple is the specs. What are the dimensions? Materials? What is included with the product?
Rent the Runway offers specs that go beyond the usual measurements and instead works in stylist notes that describe how this dress fits different body types and what kind of underwear you might wear with this particular piece.
Wayfair does something kind of cool here, providing shoppers with a look at how different rug dimensions look in relation to the rest of a room’s furniture:
Add Video
According to Wyzowl, 33% of people say that video is the preferred way to learn more about a product.
Your approach to video, of course, depends on what you’re selling. Clothing items, watches, home decor benefit from videos that show the product, up close, at different angles, allowing users to get a sense of how the item will look in person.
For SaaS products, apps, and gadgets, an explainer or tutorial video that covers specific features and benefits can help clarify what it is your product can do for the customer. Here’s an example from Backlinko that showcases the platform’s keyword research tool:
Video is also an effective way to show complex product features in action. This is different than a “how-to” and instead aims to give users a tangible idea of what a product actually does.
Here’s an example Breville used to show off their Precision Brewer.
Pro tip: add a video sitemap to your product page videos. The benefit is, this allows you to let Google know exactly where the video is located, making it easier for Googlebots and searchers to find your product page.
Related Products & Categories
Should visitors decide they don’t want this particular product, linking to related products can help improve internal linking and reduce bounce rates. Here’s an example from West Elm that offers several neutral couch options in different sizes and styles:
That same page also includes links to the category structure, allowing shoppers to explore the sofa category or maybe just furniture in general.
FAQs
While you might have a dedicated FAQ page, adding product specific questions and answers are a great way to add extra text to your product pages. In other words, you’re giving your page more opportunities to rank without cluttering the top section of the page.
Try answering questions such as:
- Which payment options do you accept?
- What shipping options are available?
- Do you offer free shipping?
- What is your return policy?
- When can customers expect their order?
- What makes this product unique?
Another option is incorporating real customer questions and answers like Amazon does to build transparency around customer expectations.
Reviews
Reviews are one of the biggest conversion drivers in e-commerce. Social proof, of course, adds credibility and drives conversions.
You might incorporate reviews like Sephora does, here, calling them out up top:
Then featuring the actual customer comments down below:
What’s nice about Sephora’s review section is, it allows users to filter customer reviews based on other users with similar skin types, coloring, age, etc. to get a better sense of how a product might work for their individual needs.
Everlane does something similar, allowing users to filter reviews by height, weight, and size:
That same Bose page mentioned above features a combination of reviews and user-generated content, doubling down on social proof:
Wrapping Up
Bottom line: e-commerce pages should aim to provide shoppers with everything they might want to know before checking out. This includes a title, description, and several high-quality images, as well as reviews, videos, and specifications that dig a little deeper.
In my next post, I’ll cover how to optimize blog posts for conversions. Don’t miss it.
